Mumsnet users share with Disney Junior how they prepare their child for their first day of school

[EllieMumsnet]

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The first day of primary school is an exciting milestone and also fairly nerve-wracking for both children and parents alike. Many questions may run through your mind, such as, ‘Will my child make new friends? Will they get along with others? What type of day are they having? Preparing your child for their first day of school, can be a great way to ensure a smooth transition. From giving them guidance on how to make friends, to practising the school routine and helping them get ready can provide them with confidence for their first day. Disney Junior, together with Vee, heroine of the Disney Junior series Vampirina would love to know your tips for preparing your child for their first day of school and how you encourage them to make new friends.

Here’s what Disney Junior have to say about Vampirina: “Vampirina (AKA Vee) and her family of vampires have moved to Pennsylvania to open the very first Scare B&B. Despite being new to the neighbourhood and a bit nervous, this little girl has no trouble making friends and having fun. Meanwhile her mum, Oxana does a fabulous job at juggling the roles of a full-time mum and owner of the spookiest B&B in town! Your little one can watch Vampirina every day at 17.30 on Disney Junior!”

Watch the video below: a guide to making friends; as told by 5 year olds:

Do you explain the importance of caring and looking out for others to help them make new friends? Perhaps you try get as much information from the new school as you can about what the first day will be like? Maybe you work on independence and being able to do little tasks by themselves such as tying their own shoes? Or do you try to meet up with others who are attending the school so your child knows a few familiar faces?

Whatever your tips are for preparing your child for their first day of school, share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw, where three lucky winners will win a £100 Disney Store voucher plus a Vampirina goody bag for back to school.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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I try and meet up with people who have children who will be in the same class. I think this is a great way to make sure they have some familiar faces on the first day.

A lot of preparation to make sure they know whats going to happen. So making sure they can get ready themselves, being polite, eating with a knife and fork and generally being away from home.

Having a friend is the most important thing so getting together as often as possible with that friend and getting them to think about their friend rather than themselves gives then huge confidence.

Positive conversations about school with my son who is already there...particularly around school dinners as my daughter who is starting school is a fussier eater!

If I'm honest, I just didn't tell him what to expect, I wanted him to experience school for himself, make friend connections by making his own judgements, make his own decisions on what he thinks school is and how he should behave (obviously he knows his boundaries at home) he was 5 in the December and that meant he was one of the eldest, he is also the tallest in his class, which did concern me (have you seen the size of some of the reception starters!!! They look like they should still be in nappies! haha) but he found his feet almost immediately and made connections with his whole class, he does have one or 2 he doesn't get on fully with, but this is just one of those things and they just tend to avoid each other, I must add it was their fault, them 2 bullied him from the start, but by the end of the year he has been friendlier and they tolerate and can play together. Which as a parent, makes your heart break and you feel like you need to intervene (of course I needed to with school adults, and he was helped) but I also believed he needed to sort things himself in a way, which bless him he did, and he has learnt not everybody gets along. He's a very sweet and kind little boy, and we would love to be considered for such a great prize xx

Make sure you talk to them about school as often as possible before the big day. Be positive so that by the time comes they will be so excited. Make sure you have everything organised for the big day. If you start running around stress because you forgot something, they will pick up on your stress. Try not to let them see how emotional you are, this may worry them. Not easy, I know, but save the tears for when they are safely out of sight in the class room.

Trying to get his buttons done up was a huge struggle so we practised doing them up and undoing, we sorted clothes so that he could remember to put his top on with label at neck, his trousers and boxers with label at bum and his socks with the rib inside....this was a mission of a teaching! He is now 5....almost 6 and going into year 1, he still has trouble with his P.E. top and often find him after football club with it on backward!!! Apart from that he was fine aand loved school

we have played role play with the cousins and all their teddies, getting ready for taking the register in class.

Tell them to be worried is normal. Explain how exciting it will be. Talk about positive things they will enjoy and look forward to. Imagine me picking them up at the end of the day and all the things they can tell me.

Keep an eye out for local community events so they will be familiar with some of the other children, and any public events happening at the school like the summer/Christmas fair, so it's not a completely strange place for them.

We tried on all her uniform, played schools with teddies, talked about asking teachers / TAs if she had any problems, did a settling in visit, and just spoke really positively about school at all times

We talked about school and they'd both met their Reception teachers who went to their nurseries to meet them. Being at nursery had helped (even though it wasn't at their school) and I'd made sure we'd been to some school events so they were familiar with the place.

We have visited the school and gone over what happens during the school day.
We have practised taking uniform on and off and spoken about the importance of breakfast and organisation

We talked about the school routine and what might happen (assembly etc). I also talked about the importance of sticking to the rules and how rules are there to keep us safe.

We have played SCHOOL, it involves helping to get dressed, change for PE, be kind and play with friends.

Schools do a am or pm before ………………. make if a happy time, NOT stressful

SMILE, do not cry when you drop them off,Repeat you are picking up and where you will STAND. (be on time !)